I am ready to start putting track down on my layout and for the first time, I am going to be using HO Scale Micro Engineering Code 83 flex instead of the Atlas track I have used in the past. I soldered some feeders onto the ME rail joiners, but when I went to put them on the track, they are increadibly tight…to the point that if I pushed hard enough to slide them on, I am cutting into my fingers. I tried pushing with a small pair of pliers, but then ended up bending the joiner.
I finally got a couple partially on, but when I tried to push two pieces of flex together with the joiners, the track was beding and even tore up some of the spike head profiles. I am sure this isn’t the norm for this track, but does anyone have any secrets to putting these on? With a Peco, Walthers, Shinohara go on better? Should I even us Atlas joiners?
Are you using the same brand of joiners and track? I understand that there may be a difference in the thickness of the web between brands, so some joiners would be tight other combinations could be loose.
I have seen suggested, taking a short piece of track and filing it to a point to make it slip into the joiner more easily. Then slipping the spread joiner onto the track. With the joiner on one rail, it holds the end open enough to slide the joiner onto the second rail.
Just what I have observed. I’ve only used Atlas, so don’t have first hand experience.
Those will help. If you mount the filed rail spreader into a short wood dowel for a handle, it’ll be easy to use. I just used an exacto blade to gently lift the curved tongues a little, but used care and don’t cut any fingertips off – not recommened for children under 65 years of age[;)]
Yes, ME rail joiners fit tightly. There also can be a slight burr on the bottom of the rail where the edge of the cut is on new track. A stroke or two with a file will help a lot. If you’ve cut the rail, it will need the same treatment to ensure there are no raised metal flecks at the cut, because the joiners are that tight.
I always solder feeders at joiners on after getting the joiners set and soldered first, mainly because there is no slack due to the tight fit.
Great ideas, Mike, thanks! I will rig up a piece with a handle this evening. I am trying the feeders first on a few to see how I like it and so far, I don’t!! I just suck at soldering and am trying to save the life of my ties.
Under similar circumstances using a brand of rail joiner that different from the make of track, I had to very slightly pry open the railjoiner using a tiny screwdriver and then lightly crimped it onto the new piece of track using a needlenosed pliers if I had opened up the rail joiner too much. Filing a slight bevel into the base of the track should work but sounds more time consuming.
I use ME joiners for code 55, but don’t care much for them for anything else. I like Atlas N scale code 80 joiners for ME code 83 and 70, along with Shinohara and Walthers code 83 and 70 track. They fit nicely amd still almost disappear from view on the finished track.
Gotta agree that the Shinoharas are much more agreeable to work with and do work with ME.
nasaracer32,
Soldering can be maddening until you get the touch down right. Make sure you’re using a tip cleaner. You can get some at Radio Shack, a small too-expensive, but can’t-do-without-it tin can you dip the tip of the iron in. Make sure you have a good tip and that it’s not eroded or corroded. I like RS silver-bearing solder. If you get things hot with a clean tip, the solder should flow almost immediately, then get out before you get tie melt. If using weathered rail, that has to be scraped off down to bare metal. I also push the ties back to get room to work.
For hard cases, RS also has rosin flux, get a bit on a toothpick and dab on the surfaces you want joined, heat and allpy solder. Most of the time, the rosin in the solder itself does the trick if you have a cklean hot iron.
I have several hundred feet of ME flex in codes 83, 70 and 55 installed on the layout. I used ME code 70 joiners on most of it (including the code 83). I used a pair of pliers to fit the joiners on the rails and a file/moto tool to deburr the bottoms of the rail.
Suggestions:
Don’t solder feeders to the joiners. It will make installing them much easier. Solder feeders to the botom of the rails somewhere in the middle of the piece of flex track.
I’ll second the reccomendations: Build the tool that Mike is talking about and File the burrs off the bottom of the rail before installing the joiner
If you cant get the joiner to “take” or catch on the end of the rail dont force it. Use an optivisor to see well. Try checking for burrs and slightly opening the end of the joiner by inserting the blade of a screwdrive part way into the slot. Hold the rails with your hand when installing the joiner so that none of the ties are taking the force - keeps them from popping off.
If appearance is less important: Use Atlas n scale joiners on code 83 track - they fit snug and have a small profile.
The reason ME joiners are so tight is that once installed and painted they pretty much disappear. Important iif you are striving for realistic trackwork that will stand up to close up phjotography.
While the fit is tight, It is possible with a little practice, to use code 70 joiners on code 83 rail. I did this all the way around my bottom deck (100’s of joints). It does take a little patience, but it sure looks good.
Thanks everyone for the feedback! Lots of good suggestions here and I am going to try the filed piece of rail tonight, but this also gives me a good reason to go to the hobby shop in the morning to get a couple of other brands to try as well!
I used Atlas N 80 joiners for my code 83 Atlas flextrack and Walthers Shinohara turnouts because they are relatively small. I had encountered the suggestion to make a spreader with a small piece of track with the ends just slightly filed narrower. I wiggled each joiner (both ends) on the tool first and it was then easy enough to get it on the track but without making it too loose. Most of mine then got soldered, except at turnouts.
When the fit is too tight, I file the corner of the rail base slightly on each side. That way the end edge of the joiner isn’t pushing against the end edge of the rail base. That allows me to push the joiner on while maintaining a tight fit.
I took a piece of rail about an inch long put it in my vise and with a needle nose pliers started both ends on that rail then used it on the layout. I never soldered wire to the joiners I soldered a wire to each piece of track then to the buss line. Never relyed on any joiner to pass electric current.
I made a tool from a 3" section of code 83 rail. I filed both sides of one end of the rail into a point. I also filed the flange into a point as well. I cut a groove in a length of 1"x2" with a Dremel cut off disk. You want the groove to be just wide enough that you can push the rail down into the groove. I hold the rail with pliers and push one end of the joiner onto the pointed end. Don’t push it all the way on with your fingers. Those little sucker are sharp. Now, push the rail into the groove. The joiner will slide all the way onto the rail. Now, slide it off and it will be snug when you use it, but not so tight that it won’t slide on without a lot of pressure.
I use ME code 83 and code 70 rail It’s not the rail joiner, it’s the track ends. Take a small needle file and lightly file the end of the rail. The joiners will then slip into place without a problem.
